California Winter Break 2026
Last school day before the break and first day back for the 21 California districts we track, earliest break first. Days off in a row count weekends and any teacher workday or holiday next to the break.
| District | Last day before break | Back to school | Days off in a row |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capistrano Unified School District | Thu, Dec 17, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | 17 |
| San Bernardino City Unified School District | Thu, Dec 17, 2026 | Mon, Jan 11, 2027 | 24 |
| Clovis Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Tue, Jan 5, 2027 | 17 |
| Corona-Norco Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Mon, Jan 11, 2027 | 23 |
| Elk Grove Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Tue, Jan 5, 2027 | 17 |
| Fremont Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Tue, Jan 5, 2027 | 17 |
| Fresno Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Mon, Jan 11, 2027 | 23 |
| Garden Grove Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Tue, Jan 5, 2027 | 17 |
| Irvine Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | 16 |
| Kern High School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | 16 |
| Long Beach Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | 16 |
| Los Angeles Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Mon, Jan 11, 2027 | 23 |
| Oakland Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Wed, Jan 6, 2027 | 18 |
| Poway Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | 16 |
| Riverside Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | 16 |
| Sacramento City Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Tue, Jan 5, 2027 | 17 |
| San Diego Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Tue, Jan 5, 2027 | 17 |
| San Francisco Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | 16 |
| San Juan Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Tue, Jan 5, 2027 | 17 |
| Santa Ana Unified School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | 16 |
| Sweetwater Union High School District | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Tue, Jan 12, 2027 | 24 |
Frequently asked questions
When does winter break 2026 start in California?
For most of the 21 California districts we track, the last day of school before the break is December 18, 2026 (19 of 21). The earliest is December 17, 2026 and the latest December 18, 2026.
When do California students go back to school in January 2027?
Most return January 4, 2027 (8 of 21 districts). The first districts are back January 4, 2027 and the last January 12, 2027.
Which California district has the longest winter break?
San Bernardino City Unified School District: 24 days in a row without school (December 18, 2026 to January 10, 2027), weekends and adjacent days off included. The shortest is Irvine Unified School District with 16 days.
Every date comes from the district’s own calendar and links to it on the district page. How we check the dates →